Key Ecommerce Metrics Explained for D2C Owners
Learn the four metrics every D2C brand needs to track: ROAS, CAC, contribution margin, and gross-to-net revenue, with simple formulas and examples.
Brandstack calculates dozens of numbers for you, but four metrics matter most when you are deciding where to spend your next rupee. This page defines each one in plain language, shows the formula, and walks through a real example.
Example: You spent 50,000 on Meta Ads last month and those ads drove 200,000 in tracked sales. Your ROAS is 200,000 / 50,000 = 4.0.
Example: You spent 100,000 on ads and 20,000 on influencer collaborations in a month, and 400 new customers placed their first order. Your CAC is (100,000 + 20,000) / 400 = 300 per customer.
Example: A product sells for 1,000. It costs 400 to make, 80 to ship, 30 in payment fees, and 20 in packaging. Your contribution margin is 1,000 - 400 - 80 - 30 - 20 = 470.
Example: You recorded 500,000 in gross sales this month. Customers returned 30,000, marketplaces withheld 50,000 in commissions, and you gave 20,000 in discounts. Your net revenue is 500,000 - 30,000 - 50,000 - 20,000 = 400,000.

